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E WESSELLS TI ME MECHANISM FOR FEEDING STOGK- 110.259.252. v Patented June 6, 1882,, 11 a all 6 1/ 2 Z C" "53: 1; a J J z kfl O z O 6'. v L e WITNESSES: IEVENTOR:

*ATTGRNEYS.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EUGENE \VES SELLS, OF PEEKSKILL, NEW YORK.

TIME MECHANISM FOR FEEDINGSTOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 259,252, dated June 6, 1882.

Application filed November 22, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EUGENE WEssELLs, of Peekskill, in the county of Westchester and State of New York, have invented a new and 5 Improved Automatic Mechanism for Feeding Animals, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in whichsimilar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both the figures.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of my improvement, partly in section. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same.

This invention relates to that class of mechanisms that are operated automatically to feed horses and other animals at fixed times, and has for its object to simplify and cheapen the construction of the said mechanisms.

The invention consists in the combination, with the feed-hopper, its sliding bottom, and an alarm-clock,of a winding-key having a flat handle, a trip-lever, and a spring, whereby the hopper-bottom will be moved to discharge the grain when the alarm mechanism of the clock begins to operate; and also in the combination of a series of connecting rods or chains, with the sliding bottoms of a series of hoppers and with an alarm clock, its winding-key, atrip-lever, and a spring connected with one of the said series of hoppers, whereby all the sliding bottoms will be operated at the same time and by a single mechanism, as will be hereinafter fully described.

A represents the hopper, from the bottom of which a spout, B, leads to the manger.

O is the bottom of the hopper, which slides through slots in the opposite sides of the lower part of the hopper A, and has cleats D or other stops attached to it to strike against the sides of the said hopper, and thus limit the movement of the said sliding bottom. The sliding bottom 0 rests upon rollers E, pivoted to the hopper A at the lower sides oi its slots, so that the bottom 0 will move easily, even when supporting the grain to be fed to the animal.

To a bracket, F, a shelf, or other support attached to the lower part of the front of the hopper A, is secured an ordinary alarmclock,

G, which, when not required for use upon the hopper A, can be detached and used as an ordinary time-keeper. The clock G is made without a bell and without a bell-hammer, or has its bell-hammer bent back, so that the clockcase can be made; without a slot for the passage of the bell-hammer.

To the windingpost of the alarm-work is at tached a winding-key, H, the handle of which is made flat, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, so as to rest against an arm of the lever I, which is pivoted to the side of the hopper A in such a position that its'other arm can rest against a pin, J, attachedto one end of the sliding bottom 0, so as to hold the said bottom against the tension of the spring K. One end of the spring K is attached to the side of the hopper A, and its other end is attached to the end of the sliding bottom 0. 4

In the sliding bottom 0 is formed an aperture, L, to allow the grain to escape from the said hopper A. The aperture L is madein such a position that when thebottom 0 is slid back against the tension of the spring K and is locked in place by the lever I the said aperture L will be outside the hopper A, and the escape of the grain will be prevented but when the said bottom Ois released from the lever land is drawn forward by the spring K the said aperture L will be within the hopper, and the grain will be allowed to flow out of the hopper I through the spout B. With this construction the'alarm can be set for any desiredtime,and when the time arrives and the alarm mechanism isset in motion the revolution of the key H will trip the lever I to release the bottom 0 and allow the said bottom to be drawn forward by the tension of the spring K, discharging the grain.

When more than one hopper is to be used the additional hoppers A are made in the same manner as the one hereinbefore described, except that they are made without clocks, triplevers, and springs. rThe sliding bottoms G of the additional hoppers A are connected with each other and'with the sliding bottom G of the first hopper A, so that all the sliding bottoms will be drawn forward by the spring K as soon as the lever I is tripped.

The strength of the spring K should be in creased as each additional hopper is added to the series, so that the tension of the said spring will be suiiicient to move all the said bottoms.

At 0 is represented a feed-box or manger, into which the grain falls from the spout B.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters 5 Patent- 1. In an automatic feeding mechanism, the

combination, with the hopper A, the clock G, provided with the key H on the winding-post of its alarm mechanism, and meansfor support- 1 a ing the clock at the side of the hopper, of the spring-actuated sliding bottom 0, provided with the pin J, and the lever I pivoted to the side of the hopper, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

15 2. In an automatic feeding mechanism, the

EUGENE WESSELLS.

Witnesses:

W. H. TILLOTSON, PAUL WEssELLs. 

